Fascinated by what drives start ups to succeed, I look at the entire process from inception to fundraising and everything in between. I was previously an editor at Global Security Finance, a London-based newsletter covering security and defense for the finance community which meant uncovering start ups with exciting technologies as well as interviewing VCs, government officials and defense giants on their financing, funding and M&A strategy. As a Columbia Journalism School student I delved into an eclectic mix of city politics, struggling Harlem businesses and the interactive theatre scene. Although I’m British, a childhood spent in Malaysia has meant a lifelong addiction to Asian food. I continue to hunt down the perfect bowl of noodles in NYC, Sriracha sauce bottle in hand.

Hand Gesture Armband Myo Integrates With Google Glass

Thalmic Labs, the Canadian startup behind Myo, an armband which lets a wearer control movements on a screen with a flick of the wrist has announced a slew of partnerships with developers to make it easier for people in industries like healthcare and construction to use Google Glass as they go about their workday.

“We’re literally changing the way that we, as people, interact with the digital world around us,” says cofounder Matthew Bailey. But are wearables more buzz that substance? “We’d argue that wearables have “happened,” responds Bailey. “If you look around, people are already wearing technology today whether that be a traditional watch or a smartphone on their arm when they go for a run.”

“The question we’re exploring is: how can we find more natural ways to merge technology and people? We’re hitting the limits of today’s form factors whether they be personal computers, tablets, or smartphones. We believe wearable computing is the next progression in that evolution,” he says.

The integration with Google Glass is just the latest in a string of announcements from Thalmic Labs as it gears up for its public launch next month with over 40,000 armbands already preordered. The Waterloo-based company, which launched in 2012 has attracted $15 million of venture funding from Intel Capital and Spark Capital to accelerate the cyborgification of humankind by revolutionizing the way we interact with our devices.

The armband uses sensors to detect when muscles in a wearer’s forearm are moving to make a hand signal and translates that into gestures on a screen. Thalmic Labs already announced its working to change gaming as well as interacting online and controlling a desktop. Now, Thalmic Labs is moving beyond the consumer space, targeting workers in industries like construction, field service and healthcare where interacting with smartglasses using subtle hand and finger gestures while on the go could make the most sense.

Users will be able to dispose of remote controls, touch pads, buttons and voice control that might slow down access to information, as well as multi-step processes to enter or retrieve data, says Thalmic Labs. This will be particularly useful in work environments that are noisy or require sterility.

The armband uses subtle hand gestures to instantly interact with applications on smartglasses, without needing to remove gloves or pull out a secondary controller, CEO and cofounder Stephen Lake said in a press release.

Thalmic Labs is partnering with the following companies:

Augmedix – Augmedix uses Google Glass to free physicians from documentation so they can focus on patients. Integration with the Myo armband means physicians can go through patient information with the simple swipe of a hand.

APX Labs – APX Labs builds software for smartglasses, like Epson Moverio and Google Glass, which help with field work, such as at wind mills, oil refineries or hydro plants.

Bridgit – Closeout by Bridgit is a deficiency management software suite aiming to respond to issues of miscommunications on construction sites.

Recon Instruments – Recon Jet, a smartglass technology for sports and high intensity environments integrates a Heads-up Display (HUD) with a micro-computer and sensor suite to provide performance information, navigation, and more, direct-to-eye.

Myo Developer Kits began shipping in July and the Myo armband is shipping this fall. It is currently available for pre-order for $149.

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